Dear Editor,

On Monday Oneil Edwards of the Voicemail trio was shot several times and is still in critical condition. The news quickly spread across Jamaica through conventional and unconventional means. All the media houses and social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter were alive with activity all day relating the incident. A vigil was also held in Half-Way-Tree by a number of our entertainers.

Since the beginning of the year, a mere 130-plus days, more than 500 people have been slain. These entertainers, I believe, possess the wherewithal to effect change due to the power of their influence, but where were they all this time? Is it that the common man’s name is unknown so we turn a blind eye?

I sincerely hope the entertainment fraternity will now play its part in stemming the nightmare that is crime. Start by excising the glorification of the gun from your lyrics. As we pray for Oneil and wish for him a speedy recovery, let us not forget the 500+ who were voiceless but whose lives were just as valuable.

Karen A Lloyd

kareloyd@yahoo.com